Valve-gear for steam-engines



(No Model.) I l QSheets-Sheen 1.

' M. C. B-ULLOGK.

VALVE GEAR FOR STEAM ENGINES.

fl um rl Nv CNO Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

M. C1 BULLOCK. VALVE GEAR PoE STEAM ENGINES.

No.'473,9106. y Patented May 3, 1892..

ili

UNiTnn STATES PATENT CFFICE.

MILAN C. BULLOCK, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VALVE-GEAR FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 473,906, dated May 3, 1892.

Application filed January 14, 1890. Serial No. 336.866. .(No model.)

.T all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MILAN C. BULLocK, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certa-in new and useful Improvements in Valve-Gear for Steam- Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, an d exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompan yin g drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to improvements in steam-engines, and more particularly to the construction of the reversing-gear for such engines.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The engine herein shown as embodying my invention is applied to operate a Windlass or hoisting apparatus; but the novel features of construction claimed may be used in connection with engines employed for other purposes.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a plan view embodying the several features of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detailed section showing the reversing-gear of the engine, taken upon line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detailed cross-section taken upon line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an inside view of the crank-disk. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the same, taken upon line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

As illustrated iu said drawings, the engineframe comprises a massive cast-metal base or bed plate A, rectangular in plan view, upon opposite ends of which are cast parallel upright frame-standards A A2. In said frame are cast or formed the bearings for the several operative parts of the machine. The frame-arms A A2 are connected near their upper ends by means of two horizontally-arranged parallel cylindric bars or girths A3 A4, secured at their ends to the said standards in the manner illustrated.

B B indicate the steam-cylinders, which are secured to the frame-standards A2 near the base of the machine and with their central axial lines inclined toward each other in such manner as to intersect near the top of the machine.

B B are cross-head guides, herein shown as made of tubular form and cast `integral with the frame-standard, and b I) are cylinder-heads, also cast integral with the frame and to which the cylinders are bolted at their upper ends, thereby forming a simple and convenient means of securing the cylinders to the machine-frame. It will be seen that these parts-al e., the cross-head guides and cylinder-heads-are cast on the outer face of the standard, so as to overhang clear of the bed-plate, the various parts of the steamen gine being thus outside of the lnain frame and readily accessible, while the bed-plate and the hoistiu g mechanism mounted thereon connterbalance the over-hanging portion.

C is a crank-shaft, which is supported at its ends in bearings a c in the upper parts of the frame-standards A` A2, respectively. Said crank-shaft is 4provided at its end outside of the bearings a', adjacent to the cylinders, with a crank-disk C', which is provided with a crank-pin C2, herein shown as made tubular, for a purpose hereinafter stated.

D D are the connecting-rods of the enginecylinders, both of which engage the crankpin C2, one of said rods being shown as forked at its part engaged with the crank-pin to allow the engagement of the end of the other rod with the crank-pin between the prongs thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. l.

B2 B2 are steam-chests located at the outer faces of the cylinders, and b b are valvestems, which are attached to cross-heads b2 b2, sliding on guides b2 b3 upon the ends of the steam-chests. To said cross-heads b2 b2 are pivoted valve-connecting rods D D', which engage at their upper ends a crank-pin c upon a crank-arm C3, attached to a shaft C4, Fig. 4, which is arranged concentrically with and passes through the tubular crank-pin C2 of the main crank-disk. The crank-pin c stands normally eccentric to the main shaft, so as to give a desired motion to the valve in the same manner as an ordinary eccentric. The crankarm C3 is, however, adapted to be swung or oscillated about the axis of the main crankpin through a certain arc, so as to change the IOO position of the eccentric crank-pin to one side or the other of the shaft for the purpose of reversing the engine. A reversing-gearis provided for effecting the shifting of the eccentric crank-pin for reversing the engine.

E indicates a winding-drum, which is 1ocated between the frame-arms A A2 beneath the crank-shaft C and is mounted on a shaft F, which is supported at its ends in bearings d2 a2 in the frame-standards A A2.

G is a spur-wheel mounted upon the shaft F and connected with the drum, and G a gear-pinion intermeshing willi the spur-wl1eel and mounted on the shaft C. rl`o the inner end of the shaft C4, to which the crank arm lC2 of the eccentric crank-pin is attached and which passes through the main crank-pi n C2 in the manner hereinbefore described, is attacheda crank-arm C5, desir-ably located at the inner face of the crank-disk C. of the shaft C adjacent to the crank-disk does not rest directly in the bearing d; but a short tube or sleeve H is inserted between the shaft and bearing and extends outside of or beyond the bearing at either side of the same, said sleeve being adapted to turn independently of the shaft. At the end of the sleeve adjacent to the crank-disk said sleeve is provided with an outwardly projecting rigid arm H', arranged approximately parallel with the arm C5 of the shaft C4 and connected with the same by means of a link h.

` Inside of the bearing ct the sleeve H is enlarged, forming a barrel or cylind ric shell H2, which is considerably larger in the inside diameter than the shaft.

Attached to the shaft inside of the shell H2 is a sleeve l, Figs. 3 and 4, which sleeve is adapted to slide lengthwise on the shaft, but is held from turning thereon by means of splines 'L' 't' in the shaft-engaging grooves t" in said sleeve I. Upon said sleeveI are formed two spiral flanges I I, herein shown as located at opposite sides of the sleeve. Said flanges engage notches 7L h', formed within an inwardly-projecting annular rib or flange of the shell H2. Asa convenient way of forming such notches h h the parts are herein shown as constructed as follows: H3 H2 are two nearly-semicircular castings or segments tted within the open end of the shell H2, with their adjacent ends at such distance apart as Vto form the notches 7L h. In other words, the end faces of the said segmental castings H3 H3 are constructed to form bearing-surfaces against the sides of the spiral flangesI I. Said segmental castings H2 H3 are con- ,y veniently held in place within the shell H2 by The end or drawn together. This construction is used as a convenient way of closing the end of the bearing-'surfaces of the segments H2 H2 against the spiral flanges to compensate for wear in the parts. The sleeveI is prolonged to extend outside of the shell H2, and upon the projecting part of the sleeve is secured a ring z2, which is rigidly affixed thereto, together with another ring t3, held by screwthreaded engagement with the sleeve, said rings t2 'z2 forming an annular groove, within which is located a ring I2, which is adapted to turn freely upon the sleeve. In said ring l2 are secured two radial pins i412, by means of which an actuating-lever may be connected with the said ring l2 for moving the sleeve I endwise onthe shaft. Such an actuating-lever is shown at I3 in Fig. l, the same being pivotally supported upon the frame-girt A3 and arranged approximately in a horizontal position, so that its end which is grasped by the hand extends to one side of the machine in position convenient for the operator. In the particular construction of those parts illustrated the lever I2 is connected directly with the pins fi", and said lever is pivotally connected with the frame-girt A2 by means of a link 5, allowing necessary endwise movement of the lever as the same is moved to shift the sleeve I. A notched segment IL is attached to the girt A3 and operates in connection with a hand-detent I5 on the lever to lock the same in any position in which it is placed. The sleeve l turns with the shaft C and by its engagement with the sleeve H, through the medium of the spiral flanges I, causes the said sleeve H to also turn with the shaft. By shifting the said sleeve I endwise upon the shaft, however, the spiral flanges, actingupon the notches of the shell H2, turn the said sleeve relatively to the shaft an angular distance, depending on the inclination of the flanges. As herein shown, the sleeve H is turned only about one-eighth of a revolution of the shifting of the sleeve. Vhen the sleeve H is turned by end wise movement of the sleeve I in the manner described, the shaft G4 will also be turned by reason of the connection between` the said sleeve and shaft afforded by the arms H and C5 and the connection link h, Fig. 5. This turning ofthe shaft C4 will have the effeet of swinging the eccentric crank-pin from one side to the other of the central axis of the crankshaft. The throw of the eccentric crank-pin when thus moved is so limited as to give the desired degree of eccentricity for actuating the valves at each limit of its throw, it of course being understood that when the eccentric crank-pin is at one limitof its throwv the engine will be driven in one direction and at which it stands when the crank-shaft is being turned in that' direction. In other words, when the 'crank-shaft is being driven to the right the resistance of the valves will tend to carry or drag the eccentric-pin into position to continue the movement of the shaft in the same direction. In connection with the eccentric-pin thus arranged I have located upon the crank-disk a stop or projection C, against which the arm C2, Fig. 5, is adapted to strike when the engine is turned forwardly, so that all strain tending to turn the crankshaft Ctl a greater distance comes upon said stop instead of upon the reversing-gear. A similar stop C7 is arranged to engage the arm H at the opposite limit of the movement of the eccentric crank-pin or when the engine is running backward. I have herein shown the crank-disk C as recessed on its rear or inner face to contain the arms C5 and I-I and adjacent parts. The reversing mechanism described is of great advantage as employed in connection with the hoisting-engine illustrated for the reason that it affords a cheap and simple construction in the parts and enables the engine to be easily controlled by the operator standing at a point near the winding-drum of the engine.

J is a rock-shaft located in the frame-base A at one side of the latter and provided with a hand-lever J', extending upwardly through the base in position convenient for the operator. A second hand-lever J2 is pivoted upon the opposite side of the frame and is since adapted to operate said rock-shaft,being connected with the same by means of a rod j, Fig. l, which is connected with a depending arm j upon the said shaft J. Said shaft Jextends outside of the frame adjacent to the steamcylinders of the engine and is provided at its end with a crank-arm g2, which is connected at its free end by means of a pitman t7'3 with a lever, which actuates the throttle-valve K of the engine. This construction enables the steam to be shut off from the engine at desired times by the person operating the machine without leaving his post at the side of the hoisting-drum. The throttle-valve is herein shown as located in a steam-pipe L,provided with branches L L', leading to the steamchests B2 B2.

M M are exhaust-pipes leading from the steam-cylinders to a main exhaust-pipe M.

I claim as my inventionl. An engine comprising a frame, a cylinder or cylinders y attached to the frame, a crank-shaft actuated from said cylinders, an

- eccentric crank-pin supported upon the crankpin of the crank-shaft and connected with and actuating the valves of the engine, a sleeve interposed between the shaft-bearing adjacent to the crank and the shaft, said sleeve being connected with and adapted to give oscillatory movement to the eccentric crank-pin, and a longitudinally-moving sleeve upon the shaft, provided with a spiral flange engaging the said sleeve iirst mentioned, by which the latter sleeve lnay be partially rotated with reference to the shaft and the position of the eccentric crank-pin thereby changed to accomplish the reversal of the engine, substantially as described.

2. An engine comprising a frame, a cylinder or cylinders attached to the frame, a crank-shaft actuated from said cylinders, an eccentric crank-pin supported upon the crankpin of the crank-shaft and connected with and actuating the valves of `the engine, a sleeve H, interposed between the shaft-bearing adjacent to the crank and the shaft, said sleeve being connected with and adapted to give oscillatory movementto the eccentric crank-pin, a longitudinally-nioving sleeve H upon the shaft, provided with spiral flanges engaging the said sleeve H, which latter sleeve H is provided with a shell H2, and segments H3, secured within the said shell and engaging at their ends with the spiral flanges upon the said sleeve I, substantially as described.

8. A hoisting-engine comprising a frame, a steam cylinder or cylinders attached to the frame, a crank-shaft actuated from said cylinders, an e ccentric crank-pin supported upon the crank-pin of the crank-shaft and conneet-ed with and actuating the valves of the engine, a sleeve H, interposed between the shaft-bearing adjacent to the crank and the shaft, said sleeve being connected with and adapted to give oscillatory movement to the eccentric crank-pin, a longitudinally-moving sleeve I upon the shaft, provided with spiral. llanges engaging the said sleeve H, said sleeve H being` provided with a shell H2, and segments H2, secured within the said shell and engaging at their ends with the spiral flanges upon the said sleeve I, the said shell being longitudinally split and provided with bolts by which its split ends maybe drawn together, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

4. A hoisting-engine comprising a frame, a steam-cylinder 0r cylinders attached to the frame, a crank-shaft actuated from said cylinders, an eccentric crank-pin supported upon the crank-pin of the crank-shaft and connectected with and actuating the valves of the engine, a sleeve H, interposed between the shaft-bearing adjacent to the crank and the shaft, said sleeve being connected with and adapted to give oscillatory movement to the eccentric crank-pin, and longitudinallymoving sleeve I upon the shaft, provided with a spiral flan ge engaging the said sleeve, a ring I2, engaging a groove in the said sleeve I, and an actuating-lever-mounted upon the machineframe and engaged with said ring I2, substantially as described.'

5. The combination, with the engine-cylinders and crank-shaft, o f an eccentric crankpin supported by a shaft C4, passing through the crank-pin of the crank-shaft and provided on its inner end with a rigid arm C5, a sleeve H, surrounding the crank-shaft adjacent Ato IOO IIO

IZO

the crank-disk and provided with a-rigid arm lfl, and a link 7i, connecting said arms C5 mid H', substantiallyY as described.

6. AThe combination, with the 'engine-cylinders and crank-shaft, of an eccentric crankpin supported by a crank-shaft C4, passingthrough the crank-pin of the crank-shaft and provided on its inner end with a rigid arm C,

:L sleeve H, surrounding the crank-shaft ndjacent t0 the crank-disk and provided with a rigid arm H', and t link h, connecting said 

